Anger and Arrogance, Vunerability and Love
by Zyii
Summary: 'Never judge a book by it's cover'. A billionaire playboy can change his ways. A scared woman can become brave. Love seeps it's way into people's lives without warning. When love mingles with threat the result can leave you feeling blown away. [Tony/OC]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers or any characters associated with the name; I only claim my original characters to be my own**

**AN: New story been working on it for a while. Updates will be slow. Will try my best to keep grammatical and spelling mistakes to a minimum ~ Zyii**

* * *

**ANGER**

Jumping bodies, sweat in the air, alcohol on people's breath. The party was in full swing and yet she'd still found a quiet room to hide in. She wasn't really into the clubbing party scene. She liked getting all dressed up and putting on heels but she preferred a quieter scene like a pub. She'd only come because her friend had begged her with puppy dog eyes that she hadn't been able to resist. Also she'd wanted to settle her curiosity and see where the famous Avengers lived.

Looking across the New York skyline, she was reminded of how beautiful it was. Even at this late hour, lights were still on and people were still awake and living their lives.

"What are you doing in here?"

She jumped, not having noticed the door open or another person join her. She turned to face the intruder and was startled to see who it was.

"I was just enjoying the peace and quiet" she said.

"You know at a party, you're supposed to be enjoying the loud music and dancing with other people, not hiding up here" he said.

"Oh yeah and what are you doing up here?" she asked.

He smirked mischievously "oh I was just hiding, large crowds scare me…"

She smiled.

"You have a beautiful smile" he murmured.

She blushed as he stepped forwards, the promise of something lingering in the air.

"Tony, Tony! Where are you?" someone shouted.

The connection between them suddenly broke.

"Well that's my queue" he said while smiling awkwardly.

She nodded and turned back to look out at the skyline. She didn't hear him leave but knew that he had. She'd just met Tony Stark better known as Iron Man but she couldn't say that he'd made much of an impression. She knew she should get back to the party and find her friend but she couldn't quite take her gaze away from the view. Five more minutes and then she'd leave.

The unpleasant feeling of having your tongue stuck to the roof of your dry mouth startled her awake in the mornings sunshine. It took her a while to get her bearings before she set her eyes on that familiar skyline and remembered where she was.

_Fuck!_ She'd ended up falling asleep and stayed MUCH longer than intended. She hoped she'd be able to sneak out of the building but as her feet found the last step of the staircase, she heard voices in the kitchen and realised there was no way to remain unnoticed. Still, she tried her best but alas it wasn't good enough. The fact that she'd been caught by members of the Avengers made the whole thing more humiliating.

"Oh he didn't" said the red head – known to the public as the Black Widow.

"Didn't what?" asked Captain America.

She wished she knew their real names, calling them by their titles made them more intimidating. She felt like a deer caught under the headlights of a car and felt herself shrink back as Captain America stared at her intently.

"They're getting younger" he said critically "I thought he said he'd stopped" he added.

The Black Widow glared at her "if you're looking for money and fame, you won't get it".

She wanted to stop them talking and tell the truth but there was a huge lump in her throat, preventing her from speaking. Then the man of the hour came in and two things happened simultaneously: she regained her ability to speak and he tried to humiliate her further.

"What are you talking about?" he asked cheerfully.

"Your latest squeeze" said The Black Widow.

"My latest…" he began sounding confused, then his eyes landed on her "oh hey doll…have we met?"

"You're forgotten already it seems" mused The Black Widow.

"Oh enough! Stop making assumptions" she said having finally found her voice, "I didn't have sex with Tony, I just fell asleep in a room upstairs. I don't like big parties and I was just avoiding my drunken friend" she said.

"You're British" said Tony, shocked.

"No shit Sherlock" she replied sarcastically.

She turned to leave; the lift door was now in her reach.

"Wait you can't leave yet, we don't even know your name" said Tony.

"You should tell your friends that they shouldn't make assumptions without facts…someone could get hurt".

She left satisfied by their weary and confused expressions. As time went on life got busy and she forgot all about her encounter at Stark Tower.

*-..-*

She always imagined she'd go back to England when she'd made her fame and fortune and could be sure to see the pride shinning in her Father's eyes. However fate had other plans and she was called back to celebrate the life and death of her greatest friend, supporter and family: her Father.

He wasn't old but he wasn't young either and in her opinion had plenty of life left to live. Still she was biased, he was her Dad she loved him and now she'd have to learn to live without him.

At first she couldn't function, she was crying all the time and felt emotionally depressed and drained. Then as time passed, she began to accept what had happened and knew her Father wouldn't have wanted her to wallow in pity, he would have wanted her to keep living. The funeral came and went as did the reading of the will – she was of course, left everything. When the attorney handed over a tattered old book she was most intrigued about what it contained.

She thanked the man kindly when he handed it over and soon found herself curled up on the sofa, cup of tea in hand and book resting on her knee. She was excited, it was her very own mystery to unravel, imagine her surprise when she opened the book and found not pages but a hollowed out space. Imagine her trembling fingers as she fished out the slightly yellowed envelope addressed to her and began to read.

_My Dearest Child, _

_There was so much I should have told you and so much I have protected you from. You asked me once why I never had a passport or National Insurance. It is because I never wanted to draw attention to our presence. If things had been different and your Mother still alive you would have told you sooner._

_Perhaps you have heard of the nine realms of which earth is one. I came here with you to seek refuse. Our planet, though small, was inhabited by extraordinary people with extraordinary powers, but like everything war came to our door and our enemy the Rexit slaughtered us. _

_Precious few of us escaped and even less of us are alive now. I hid your powers from you but now that I am no longer with you, your powers are bound to surface._

_Use them, hide them, it doesn't matter, I will always be proud of you._

_Your loving Father. _

She stared at the letter in anger and confusion, yet as the day progressed and she got on with other things, she forgot all about the letter. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that she would remember.

She hadn't wanted to remain in England so long after her Father died but things kept popping up forcing her to stay longer and everyone from friends to acquaintances kept dropping in with casseroles and unwanted conversations.

It was several weeks later that an event presented itself and pushed her over the edge. She'd run into some people she'd rather forget, those arrogant people she went to school with and an ancient ex-boyfriend. Ignorant of her recent loss or just stupid, they cornered her on her walk through the park, the usual taunting insults were thrown, they shouldn't have affected her but they did.

It had been a sore spot for her, the ancient ex-boyfriend was not a pleasant time for her to remember, his feelings had not been sincere and the relationship and act of humiliation set up by the popular girls at school. Perhaps it was a combination of what had happened mixed with what was now happening. Either way as a force blasted everyone away from her and had them twitching on the floor in pain, she was reminded of the letter from her Father.

Frightened and confused she ran home. The post had arrived in her absence and she picked it up off the floor and locked the door behind her. Most of the post was boring and unimportant except for one that caught her attention. The letter's envelope was made of thick paper and her name was written on the front in spidery writing. She opened the letter with a shaking hand.

_My Child, _

_You are angry at me I know. By now at least one of your powers has manifested and you are scared. Don't be as you are destined for great things. However the arrival of your powers will have alerted others and I am sorry I am not there to protect you. _

_Not everyone that seeks you out is good and he will be on the move now he knows you're alive. I cannot risk writing more than his name, so if you hear it uttered, you only have two options; run or fight. His name is Trileever and he is to be feared. _

_I do not know when all your powers will appear but you will have a total of four. Remember your martial arts training as it will come in handy. _

_Good luck,_

_Your Father._

The letter made her angry and was not so forthcoming with information as it seemed. Suddenly she heard a stampede of people descend upon the small house and as she heard them try to knock down the front door she became fearful. The men who stormed into the house were imposing and armed. Their leader, a tall menacing man, had a bald head and an eye patch. She cowered before him yet he appeared not to see her.

The longer she sat before them, the easier it was for her to relax until whatever had happened had reversed itself and she was visible at last.

"Saffron James? We've been looking for you".


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Avengers etc; only my original character Saffie

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**FEAR**

She'd like to say she remembered the journey they took her on but it was so long and complicated that she ended up concentrating on keeping her fear in check. She hadn't uttered two words since she corrected the man on her name, no one called her Saffron, and she always went by Saffie. She liked to assume they were taking the long way to wherever their destination was, just to keep her disorientated. At least that seemed to be what was going on if the smug look on eye patches face was anything to go by.

She had definitely nodded off for a while but woke when she felt the small plane descend. They'd been travelling so long; she had no idea where they had ended up. She was pulled not too gently from the plane and dragged to another destination. Through her disorientation, she managed to briefly observe the surrounding area to the point that she knew without a doubt that she was no longer in England.

In all honesty Saffie was starting to get quick sick of eye patch man. He'd essentially kidnapped her from her house and dragged her around the world without so much as to telling her his name or why he wanted her. Her Father's letters had been incredibly vague, as far as she was concerned, she might have just walked into a trap with the wrong sort of people!

Everyone here wore some variant of a black uniform and wore grumpy thin lipped expressions on their faces. When they saw eye patch coming their way they parted immediately to allow him access. This let Saffie know that he was, indeed, the head honcho. Though the outside of this place seemed hectic, loud and open, the inside was almost futuristic with its bright lights, sharp corners and ever present, almost sparkling, black floors.

Saffie almost bumped into eye patch man when he suddenly stopped before her. He waited a moment then walked forward two steps and moved to the side, thereby exposing Saffie to the occupants in the room.

"You!" shouted a familiar voice.

Turning to find the source of the voice, she found herself looking at none other than Tony Stark. The memory of her first meeting with him immediately flashed into her mind and she groaned not too subtly.

"Not happy to see me sweetcheeks?" he asked smirking "what trouble did you get into to land yourself here?" he added.

She actually growled at his words, she was not in the mood to be joked at.

"Miss Saffie James is here because she needs our help".

"Actually I'm here because you kidnapped me" muttered Saffie bitterly.

The eye patch guy ignored her, guided her to a chair and waited for her to sit while he eyed her critically. Once she was seated he resumed talking.

"I am Director Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D and you are on board the hellicarrier. Before you are: Tony Stark – Iron Man -, Steve Rodgers – Captain America -, Natasha Romanoff – The Black Widow -, Bruce Banner – The Hulk -, Clint Barton – Hawkeye -, and lastly Thor. These select individuals make up the Avengers, a team I hope you'll join" said Fury.

Saffie just stared at him trying to digest his words.

"You're kidding, she's to join the team?" cried Tony.

"I do not kid" said Fury.

"But she's just a kid" said Steve.

"Does she even have powers?" asked Clint.

Fury nodded "two have already manifested, while two haven't".

"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here please" said Saffie in a peeved manner.

Again Fury ignored her.

"I believe you know some of the myths and legends surrounding her Thor. I'm told she's the last of the _'Lunam Stellis'_" said Fury.

Thor's face perked up considerably after hearing those words and he looked at Saffie with more interest than before.

"I did not think I'd see a living Lunam Stellis, from my Father I have heard their legends and know them to be almost extinct. Lunam Stellis essentially means 'starlight moon', created by the power of the stars and the moon a race of people was born. Each was born with a gift, the more gifts you possessed the bigger your status. The world did not have a name, but people knew of the Lunam Stellis Realm. Set apart from the nine realms, your people tried to live in a time without violence and fear. For many years peace existed but all good things must come to an end.

A once great King had four children. Of the four children only two gave birth to children. Prince Nox Atra gave birth to a son and Princess Primula gave birth to a daughter. Prince Nox Atra was not a brave or intelligent person but he was an arrogant stupid person. In a time when demons ruled the darkness that lay all around, Prince Nox Atra made the mistake of insulting a ferocious demon. In the months that followed the people waited with baited breath to see what would happen but it seemed as if all was well.

Demons live for a long time and that particular demon waited, patiently for years until he struck the Lunam Stellis Realm with a force that they were unable to match. Their destruction was over in a matter of days, the people paid terribly for the mistake of Prince Nox Atra. However amiss all the turmoil and the death, one pod escaped from the world, flying through space until it landed on solid ground. Since that time many of the survivors have moved around, it is rumoured that some are still alive while others have passed to the beyond.

The hope however remains in the daughter of Princess Primula who – along with her Father – escaped in the pod that flew through space. There may not be any hope of getting their world back but there is hope that they'll be reunited with the little Princess. The demon responsible for the destruction of the people disappeared after the massacre, without a name to match him to his evil deeds, no one knows if he is still alive or not" finished Thor.

"You talk as if you believe the little Princess to be alive" said Fury.

"It would be nice would it not to have that hope after all that tragedy" said Thor seriously.

"Could she be dangerous?" asked Fury sternly.

"If provoked I believe any of us could be dangerous" replied Thor.

"When were they most violate?" asked Fury.

"During the teenage years where the body struggled to keep up with the gifts they were unlocking" said Thor.

"You're telling me I shouldn't be too concerned" said Fury bitterly.

"Perhaps not" replied Thor.

"I don't like it. Unknown aliens wandering the earth, what if her Father had been evil? What if she's evil? We need to set up precautions, she could turn on us all!" growled Fury.

"How dare you!" hissed Saffie.

She firmly planted her hands on the table and heaved herself up. Her hair crackled with un-spent energy and her eyes took on their own glow.

"Not a wise move there Director" said Steve.

"Yeah, haven't you learnt from Banner here not to anger someone who could hurt you?" questioned Tony.

"We need to know what she's capable of" shouted Fury.

"No, you need to shut up" hissed Saffie, "my Father warned me that people would come looking once my powers surfaced. The great Avengers, if you're the 'good guys' I shudder to think who the bad guys are. You kidnapped me, dragged me halfway around the world, offered me a job, insulted me and then started on my recently deceased Father! I barely see the good in you, I'm not sure I want to find out what lies in the others".

During her talk her power of electricity had been raging ever closer to the surface. Powers never come fully controlled and there isn't an instruction manual. Saffie's emotional state was running very high and it was affecting her stability. As those around her sensed danger, they were unable to reach safely before her will finally snapped and a strong electrical current shot out of her in all directions. No one was spared and Fury seemed to have gotten the brut on the force.

Seeing the damage she'd caused deflated her anger. With a sigh and a sob she ran from the room. Running without knowing where she was going was hard and she soon found herself lost, which in turn made her more hysterical.

She must have looked a pathetic sight, crouched against a wall corridor, head on her knees, poor breathing and tears pouring profusely from her eyes. Only when she heard the distant sound of someone else did she feel hope again.

"Saffie, Saffie" called the distant voice.

She wanted to call back but didn't think her voice would carry the distance.

"Saffie, Saffie, where are you?!" the voice this time was now closer.

She tried to make herself more presentable but failed miserably. The voice was no longer shouting but the footsteps were louder, rounding the corner she saw the shoes first and then the rest of her saviour – Tony Stark.

"Ok, you run seriously fast" he said, smirking.

She smiled weakly in response.

"Come now, don't cry. I'm not good with crying woman" he said in a pleasing manner.

"I'm sorry" she replied.

"Fury is a complicated person and should mostly be ignored. Don't take what he says to heart, it's not worth it and he makes things into bigger dramas than they need to be" he said seriously.

He held out a hand to her and helped her up off the floor.

"Allow me to be your guided tour" he said, "we'll end with the crème de la crème, the gym…we all end up there one way or another".


End file.
